For those who like H!P ^_^, plus a learning experience!

Yeah the title is quite sarcastic of me but today it was announced that Reina Tanaka is graduating from Momusu AAAAANNNND H!P meaning that her new band is not going to be a part of the H!P family (though I’m starting to think H!P needs new groups and girls immediately to fill the company out again).

I know many enjoy her and many hate her guts because she was in the front lines so much in her days…even from her debut single, “Shabondama”. She was everywhere from Aa! to High-King to even hogging lines with Ai-chan. Tsunku has also even admitted to calling her one of the three best vocalists ever. With her leaving she’s definitely taking a chunk of what current Momusu was styled as (you know, Reina lead with Riho secondary and everyone else fighting for the rest (and then Sayu with her auto-tunedness).

When I started listening to Momusu (in “Onna ni Sachi Are”) I noticed her pretty quickly and then seeing the full H!P discography, she really was vocally up in the front. I never really had a problem with her leading groups but to say she was the BEST vocalist is kind of TOO nice for Tsunku considering there’s SOOOO MANY more vocalists that are better than her. Her vocals are a bit squeaky and high and sometimes she did come off as a bitch (not the yankee stuff) but she was a loner and I did appreciate that she worked on being less of that and being more open. I admire the things she did for H!P for sure and there’s a BIG list.

SO WHAT NOW???…..

To lessen the blow of her graduation we were introduced to the girls that won the audition to become essentially Reina’s band project (which like I said…is a little disappointing that they aren’t going to be on H!P). The girl on the left is Yuki Uozumi, next to her is Marina Okada, and the girl on the right is Marin Miyazawa. So as of right now it’s two vocalists (Reina & Marina) and two guitarists (Yuki and Marin). I can only hope the best for them all as they begin activites in February.

Either way…big day….I’m not hit too hard as she wasn’t one of my all-time favorites but I can’t deny what she’s done for H!P through her years….

Another year passes by and we end up with another round of Shuffle Units for 2002. The theme of the year was happiness (why, I have no idea) but of course it’s there. This also has the most members involved (not counting H.P. All Stars). Now let’s get to know the groups!

Happy♡7 – Shiawase Beam! Suki Suki Beam!

The first group is of course always the one with the least amount of members. We see Mika, Asami, Aibon, and Hitomi return but including the 3/4 of the 5th Generation of Morning Musume here which is great. As the name of the group is concerned they were the happiest of the three groups (though it could be easily argued from Odoru♡11). It shows with their track, Shiawase Beam! Suki Suki Beam! which oddly enough doesn’t make a mention of Marippe’s SEXY BEAAAAAMU! As the for the song’s feel, it’s really cute and sparkly and a lot of ~chu chu chu~ and ~suki suki suki~ so lyrically it’s a bit trite, but it’s charming. Though the song is sung mostly by the Morning Musume members….of course why is that not a new idea lmao.

The video is kind of different for me actually. I mean it’s a little strange that it’s a summer tune but most of the PV is making nods to video games because at the beginning of the PV, an arcade cabinet just RANDOMLY lands in front of the beach house the 7 ladies are housing. Some of the games that they are representing is Yoshi’s Island, Mario Kart, and Super Mario Bros. It’s a really funky video and the dance is silly but it works and I see a lot of Makoto here (one of my favorite MM members).

Sexy 8 – Shiawase Desu ka?

Our second group, Sexy 8 (the only group with no “♡” symbol, are the group that has the least new members. All of them are returning except for Mai Satoda who joined shortly before! With this group they have a sexy theme even though the shuffle theme is Happyness…which is a little strange right? The song is definitely sultry and as an added bonus all 8 members have equal lines! Well except Gocchin who had the opening lines. It’s a smooth song and I really loved it for what it is…one of the best shuffle songs out there ^_^

The video is the most simplest and probably the cheapest of the three but it suits the whole sexy feel of the song. All of the members are drenched in rain and the camera angles have a sexier tone as well. Add in that like the of PVs (too damn shoooort). It’s a really plain but effective PV for the song and I recognized all the girls (including newbie Satoda) very well.

Odoru♡11 – Shiawase Kyouryuu Ondo

The last group, Odoru♡11 is the “rest of the girls thrown into one ordeal” which makes sense since they are the biggest group as well. All but 3 members have been involved with shuffle units before. The new ones Konkon, Mikitty, and Rika are interesting additions but they get lost with the outfits which are supremely random. I mean without the faces you probably wouldn’t recognize any of them…and btw…why do Rika, Ayaya, and Ayumin have brown wigs whereas everyone else are blondes 0.o that’s super strange to me. Their song, Shiawase Kyouryuu Ondo is about as random and WTF as “Dancing! Natsu Matsuri”. HOWEVER, the song is styled in Ondo so it’s even MORE traditional. It’s just a strange track and probably one of the oddest H!P songs in its collection…maybe next to “Edo no Temari Uta II”.

If the song being weird wasn’t enough, the PV is just as if not moreso. It starts off like it’s some kind of schoolplay or something. Like the aforementioned song from the Matsuri unit…the same kind of jokes are applied and so many things that you see in Ondo/Matsuri situations so it’s like a treat. I still can’t tell the girls apart (unless I know them by face which is everyone cept Megumi, Ayumi, Rika, and Rinne. I especially loved the ending where Nacchi is throwing confetti and everyone gathers around and then does this really silly move and everyone does an anime fall….keeping it classy!

Well… after all that randomness, it’s no surprise that Happy♡7 won the sales this time around but then again they were such a lovable group with Aibon and Ai-chan and pretty much all kinds of win. Once again I’m surprised that Gocchin’s team didn’t win since I personally think they got the best song of the 3 while Shiawase Kyouryuu Ondo was a pretty bad song IMHO.

Lehua Sandbo – She had left H!P prior, the only member that had actually not participated in both the 2001 & 2002 units unfortunately.

Who was missing?

Yuko Nakazawa – Once again, not seeing as to why she wasn’t involved

Atsuko Inaba – Like Yuko, I have no idea why…I mean they both could’ve been in Sexy 8 (would’ve been Sexy 10 but you know XD)

Yuki Maeda – Y’know I don’t know either about Yuki as well…

H!P Kids – WAY TOO YOUNG to be participating in anything

So like with the previous shuffles they all had their own version of a B-side. This time around they all sung group versions of Yoku Aru Oyako no Serenade. This song is a bit different since it’s R&B and kind of light. The better thing is that all the members have solo lines which adds to the awesomeness…and then to see that there is no 26-nin version of it is sad, but that would be meh.